Soon after she visited London, that she might, as she said, “try all things” and choose for herself what appeared to her “to be good.”  She wrote: 

“I went to Drury Lane in the evening.  I must own I was extremely disappointed; to be sure, the house is grand and dazzling; but I had no other feeling whilst there than that of wishing it over....  I called on Mrs. Siddons, who was not at home; then on Mrs. Twiss, who gave me some paint for the evening.  I was painted a little, I had my hair dressed, and did look pretty for me.”

On her return to Earlham Hall she found that the London pleasure had not been satisfying.  She says, “I wholly gave up on my own ground, attending all places of public amusement; I saw they tended to promote evil; therefore, if I could attend them without being hurt myself, I felt in entering them I lent my aid to promote that which I was sure from what I saw hurt others.”

She was also much exercised about dancing, thinking, while “in a family, it may be of use by the bodily exercise,” that “the more the pleasures of life are given up, the less we love the world, and our hearts will be set upon better things.”

The heretofore fashionable young girl began to visit the poor and the sick in the neighborhood, and at last decided to open a school for poor children.  Only one boy came at first; but soon she had seventy.  She lost none of her good cheer and charming manner, but rather grew more charming.  She cultivated her mind as well, reading logic,—­Watts on Judgment, Lavater, etc.

The rules of life which she wrote for herself at eighteen are worth copying:  “First,—­Never lose any time; I do not think that lost which is spent in amusement or recreation some time every day; but always be in the habit of being employed.  Second,—­Never err the least in truth.  Third,—­Never say an ill thing of a person when I can say a good thing of him; not only speak charitably, but feel so.  Fourth,—­Never be irritable or unkind to anybody.  Fifth,—­Never indulge myself in luxuries that are not necessary.  Sixth,—­Do all things with consideration, and when my path to act right is most difficult, put confidence in that Power alone which is able to assist me, and exert my own powers as far as they go.”

Gradually she laid aside all jewelry, then began to dress in quiet colors, and finally adopted the Quaker garb, feeling that she could do more good in it.  At first her course did not altogether please her family, but they lived to idolize and bless her for her doings, and to thankfully enjoy her worldwide fame.

At twenty she received an offer of marriage from a wealthy London merchant, Mr. Joseph Fry.  She hesitated for some time, lest her active duties in the church should conflict with the cares of a home of her own.  She said, “My most anxious wish is, that I may not hinder my spiritual welfare, which I have so much feared as to make me often doubt if marriage were a desirable thing for me at this time, or even the thoughts of it.”